HEALTH ADMINISTRATION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22612, 2 July 1935, Page 9

HEALTH ADMINISTRATION

SYSTEM OF DIRECT CONTROL CHANGE IN WAIKATO DISTRICT (Per United Press Association) HAMILTON, July 1. Important changes in the administration of the Health Department in the Waikato were announced by the Minister of Health, Sir Alexander Young, yesterday. He stated that, following the success of a similar scheme in other districts, it had been decided to establish a district health office at Hamilton under the difection of a medical officer. Colonel F. W. W. Dawson, of Christchurch, was being appointed to the position. Sir Alexander stated that for a few years past he had felt that in the large rural areas, more paticularly those carrying a large Maori population, the method of health and hygiene administation could be improved upon from the aspects of the efficiency of the service to the population concerned. As an experiment a change was adopted in the East Coast-Poverty Bay district. It had worked very effectively, and had fully met his anticipations, with the result that similar schemes Imd been introduced in the Taranaki and North Auckland districts. The principle had been to select a suitable area, and place it under the control of a medical officer, who, together with a staff of inspectors and nurses, undertook within the area the whole of the public health functions of the department. The system had the merit of bringing the unit of control nearer to the homes of the people concerned, and ensured more direct and continuous personal contact.